A 21st Century Mother Of The Bride Wedding Toast

When the woman in my life1 expressed concern about making a toast at her daughter’s impending wedding, gallantry compelled me to compose a thoughtful, celebratory Mother of the Bride Wedding Toast studded with significance and fraught with feeling.

Although the bride and her mother seemed quite taken with my effort, and, indeed, gleefully repeated it to nearly everyone attending the wedding, the salute was, inexplicably and lamentably, not officially proffered at the reception. Well, that wedding’s loss can be your gain. I am now releasing the toast to the public. If it fits your situation, raise a glass and let ‘er rip.

As Mother of the Bride, I want to remind my daughter and her husband that, although today’s celebration is the culmination of much effort, prayer, and hope on your part and on the part of your friends and families, a wedding is a beginning, not a conclusion. On the occasion of your marriage, you may well wonder what your lives will look like twenty or thirty or forty years from now. Let me read you what a wise man once wrote:

You can marry, pursue a career, and raise a family – and after your children are grown with families of their own, your life can be even more spectacular. When you’re mature, love can be more intense, romance can be more fulfilling, and, yes, sex can be incredibly better than when you’re a newlywed.

I know that this may sound too good to be true, but I’m here to tell you that it can indeed happen just that way. After all, I got married, I pursued a career, and I have kids who are now grown and starting families of their own – and sure enough, today I find love more intense, romance more fulfilling, and sex is not just better but altogether fabulous compared to my newlywed days. I’ve never been happier.

Now, I certainly can’t speak for your father about how he feels. But, who knows? If it’s been this incredibly wonderful for Allan and me since your dad and I divorced, then it’s at least possible that he and his girlfriend are happy as well.